Photoplay (Apr - Sep 1918)

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Miss What'sMy-Name? Proving that a star by any name can be as sweet. SIXTEEN, tiny and shy; Helen Garrett, by name — a nobody; red-gold hair and golden eyes; merely an "extra girl" out of work, discouraged and sick at heart; and then — "Em tired of hearing that experience is a necessity, growled Thomas H. Ince one day while casting over his lists for a leading woman for his Wonder Boy, Charles Ray. "Ell make a bet with anybody that I can turn the veriest" novice into a star— a real star, if she's the right sort of novice. . . . Remember that little extra girl, Helen Garrett? Mop of red-gold hair; big eyes — wistful, appealing? Send her to me." Helen Garrett couldn't believe it at first. Ince had noticed her in the ranks and thought her promising! It sounded like a fairy-tale. But after she had talked to him, she made up her mind she would justify his confidence; and she bent all her energies and talents and good looks to "making good." Did she? Well — did you see her as Ray's leading woman in "His Mother's Boy," then again in "The Hired Man," and once again in "A Son of the Snows?" But a leading lady whose name never saw the light of day, despite the fact that the exhibitors and their patrons began to ask who she was, a greatly discouraged, little leading lady. In support of Charles Ray in "His Mother's Boy." If you're a novice — the right sort of novice— Thos. H. Ince will doubtless cast you into "leads." At least that is how this little extra girl "graduated." t' ?i 4 Oj3j!:::: ■ /ff*t ■ Jjt: : ■ • T *' ' '• i ^5 After about four months of namelessness she summoned up courage to ask Bert Lennon, he of the flaming locks who does the Ince literary chores, if Mr. Ince didn't like her work. "Stands to reason he must," returned Lennon. "He's keeping you working, isn't he?" "Then why — why does he give Doris Lee all of the advertising and publicity credit for being Mr. Ray's leadinglady — when I'm the leading-lady?" she asked tearfully. "Holy cats!" exclaimed Lennon. "Didn't you know?" Whatever it was, she didn't. "Well, listen," started the wordsmith. "Exhibitors demand short names for players — for the electric signs — see? And — and I reckon I forgot to tell you that I'd changed your name. You've been Doris Lee for four months!" And now Doris Lee doesn't mind being Doris Lee at all; in fact, she rather likes it. She's had so awfully many letters from screen friends telling how much they like Doris Lee, and she's been only too glad to answer them; and of course it doesn't take so long to write "Sincerely Doris Lee" on a photograph as it would to write "Cordially Helen Garrett." And then, being Charlie Ray's leading woman is a steady job; and Doris has visions of a little California bungalow and a black-and-white striped speedster in the not-too-far distant future. But Miss Lee says in conclusion: "I like my work so well that if they didn't pay me for it I'd do it for nothing." So that's why she's a success on the screen: her heart's right there.